Family vacations: where to go, is there anything there to entertain the kids, how much will this cost? I am assuming this is what goes through every parent’s mind when it comes time to plan the family vacation. I bet it feels more like a chore than an adventure, so I am guessing that most people just go back to what they know: Disney.
Chad and I don’t have kids yet, but I bet a lot of readers of this blog do, and, since the purpose of this blog is to inspire you to incorporate travel into your life, regardless of what stage in life you are in, I put together a list of the 5 best U.S. cities for family travel. Think of this as an alternative to Disney, because, let’s be honest, how many times can you really visit the mouse’s house without wondering if you (or your wallet!) can take it.
In compiling this list, I tried to choose places that were (relatively) budget friendly, that covered the span of the U.S., that had something that appealed to the whole family, regardless of age, and that offered a different experience according to your preference (city vs. beach vs. active/outdoors). Also, I enlisted the help of a friend, former law school classmate, blogger extraordinaire, and super mom, Jennifer from The Champagne Supernova Blog. She actually has kids – two of them! So without further adieu, allow us to save you from yet another Disney trip.
Number 1: Washington, D.C.
Ah, our nation’s capitol! Do you know why this takes the number one spot? Because, once you get there (and getting there is not too expensive on JetBlue), almost all of your activities are free!! That’s right, free! Our nation’s monuments? Free! Museums? Free! In fact, there are over 200 museums in D.C. and almost all of them are free! So, whether your children like art, science, animals, or history, there is a museum that suits their (and your) interests.
Another great thing about D.C. is that most of the sites are within walking distance of each other, making it an easy city within which to ambulate. Otherwise, the hop on hop off tours are a great value (also, check Groupon, as they are usually running a special on these tours), allowing you to tour the entire city and Arlington National Cemetery for one or two days while learning about the places you are visiting en-route. This also gives you the flexibility to ride around and see a lot without necessarily having to get off at every stop, and it’s fun to sit on top of the open air bus! Uber is another great option for getting around town.
The only thing that will require advance planning on your part is a tour inside the White House, and all the information you need to plan such a tour can be found here. Advance planning is also needed to tour the U.S. Capitol building, and all the information needed for that can be found here. Finally, you can turn your trip to D.C. into a fun learning experience for your children without them even knowing it! Just take a look at your child’s syllabus for their history or social studies class (or ask their teachers what they are/going to be learning about), and tailor your trip to something they are learning about in school. All these reasons make D.C. a great and affordable choice for families with children of all ages. Beat that, Mr. Mouse!
Here is my suggested itinerary for a perfect three-day weekend: Plan to fly/drive in on Thursday late afternoon or evening. After checking into your hotel and grabbing a bite to eat, take a night tour of the monuments to see them lit up or enjoy a free music concert at the Kennedy Center!
Day 1 (Friday): Wake up early and get a good breakfast in you; you’re going to need it! Hopefully, you got tickets to tour the White House, so do that first. If not, you should still swing by and get a gander at it from the outside. After the White House, walk over to the National Mall (see photo above), which has all the major memorials. Start at the Washington Monument (you can pre-buy tickets to go up!). A short distance away is the World War II Memorial. From there, walk through the promenade (bonus if you are there during cherry blossom season) beside the reflecting pool until you reach the Lincoln Memorial. After the Lincoln Memorial, head over to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Once you are done here, rent a paddle boat and get a view of the Jefferson Memorial and the Martin Luther King Memorial from either side of the tidal basin. Stop for lunch. After lunch, hit the Capitol Building, the Supreme Court, and the Library of Congress.
Days 2 and 3 (Saturday and Sunday): Make your last 2 days museum days. You can visit dinosaurs and mammals at the National Museum of History, airplanes at the National Air and Space Museum, the U.S.’s only Leonardo Da Vinci painting at the National Gallery of Art, the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence at the National Archives, or all the cute animals at the National Zoo. If you are looking to take a short half day-trip from the city, consider visiting Arlington National Cemetery where you can see the Kennedy Memorials, Changing of the Guard Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns, and Arlington House. You may also consider taking a day trip to George Washington’s Mount Vernon.
Number 2: Atlanta, Georgia
You may be wondering why Atlanta is on the list (and at the number 2 spot). Well, first, it’s pretty cheap to get to (Delta has a lot of reasonably priced flights), and there are actually a lot of family-friendly things to do here. Both the children and the adults can enjoy a fun-filled long weekend in this city. Here is my suggested itinerary for a perfect three-day weekend: Plan to fly/drive in on Thursday late afternoon or evening, and check into your hotel. Depending on when you get in (and their event calendar), you may want to pre-plan to attend a show at Atlanta’s Fox Theater or head to Stone Mountain to catch the fireworks and laser show.
Day 1 (Friday): Wake up early and get a good breakfast in you, because you are headed to Georgia Aquarium! This place is amazing. It has huge floor to ceiling aquariums full of color and life and plenty of immerse experiences to choose from. For example, you can take the Behind the Seas Tour for $15 and get a closer view of the aquarium’s most popular exhibits. You can also choose from different animal encounters, including a dolphin encounter, Beluga Whale encounter, penguin encounter, sea otter encounter, and even swimming with whales, sharks, and manta rays. The aquarium also has a tactile exhibit where you can reach in and touch sea urchin and other sea critters. And, if you want to be a Super-Parent, you can arrange a sleepover at the aquarium! That’s right, a sleepover. Does the Mouse let you sleep at his house? I don’t think so! (Okay, this is technically not true. You can be randomly selected to win a sleepover inside Cinderella’s castle. You probably have about an equal chance of getting struck by lightning or winning the lottery, so there’s that).
After the aquarium, take walk over to the World of Coca-Cola. Here, you can learn about the history of the Coca-Cola, visit the vault where the secret formula for Coke is stored, meet the Coca-Cola Polar Bear, and, best of all, visit the tasting room and taste as many of the 100+ Coke beverages made and sold around the world. Don’t forget to pick up your free bottle of coke on your way out!
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Burn off some of that sugar high by visiting the nearby Centennial Olympic Park or Piedmont Park.
Days 2 and 3 (Saturday and Sunday): On these days, you have options. You can choose to visit Zoo Atlanta, get wet at Six Flags Over Georgia or Six Flags White Water, or make it a sports day by visiting the College Football Hall of Fame and Turner Field.
Other family-friendly attractions that add a little history and education include the Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Atlanta Botanical Gardens, Martin Luther King National Historic Site, Underground Atlanta, High Museum of Art, Atlanta Cyclorama and Civil War Museum, and Margaret Mitchell House and Museum.
Number 3: New York, New York
Everyone loves the Big Apple, and you and your family cannot run out of things to do here! Both JetBlue and Delta offer reasonable flights into New York (you can also combine a visit to D.C. with a visit to N.Y., and take the train). In my opinion, the best time to visit New York is during the holidays when the city is all dressed up! Here is my suggested itinerary for a perfect three-day weekend: Plan to fly/drive in on Thursday late afternoon or evening, and check into your hotel; then, head straight to Times Square. It is cheesy and touristy, but it is iconic, and your kids have not lived a full life without at least experiencing it once.
Day 1 (Friday): Wake up early because today you pre-arranged to visit the Statue of Liberty and perhaps even to climb to the crown. Note, this particular activity will take some advanced planning on your part (especially if you want to go up to the crown), so book tickets early!
When you are done here, head to the 9/11 Memorial, the Empire State Building, and/or Top of the Rock.
Day 2 (Saturday): Visit Central Park, have lunch, and go ice-skating! Afterwards, head to one of the city’s many museums like The Museum of Natural History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Guggenheim, the Whitney Museum of American Art, or the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art). Here is a list of museums that cater just to children’s interests. You can find free museums or information on special free hours at other museums or museums that have suggested contributions here.
Day 3 (Sunday): Save your Sunday for a Broadway matinee. Your New York trip is a great way to introduce your children to art, including performance art. There are several Broadway shows that are suitable for children, like Lion King, Aladdin, and Matilda. A list of kid-friendly shows can be found here. Make sure to pre-book your tickets as the shows sell out fast. If you want to chance it, you have a couple of options short of buying tickets on a third-party site. The first is to rush to the theater as soon as it opens on the day of the performance and wait in line to buy same-day rush tickets which can sometimes sell for as little as $25. Some shows sell standing room tickets, which means you will stand to watch the show. Others, like the Lion King, distribute day-of-show tickets through a lottery. The other option is to wait in line on the day of the show at the TKTS Booth, which is located under the red steps in Duffy Square (47th Street and Broadway). Almost all of the Broadway hits are on sale there, mostly at 50 percent off. There are also some online options, like the TodayTix app or nytix.com. Get your discount codes at BroadwayBox, Broadway Insider, and Entertainment-Link.
At some point before you leave, make it a priority to stop at Levain Bakery and wait in line for the cookies. They are sooooo worth it!
Number 4: Salt Lake City, Utah
The U.S. National Park Service is celebrating its 100th year anniversary this year. If your family is active and looking for a great (outdoor) adventure, then why not visit Utah’s National Parks? Did you know i) that there 5 national parks in Utah (from east to west: Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, and Zion), ii) that all the national parks are a stone’s throw away from each other, and iii) that they are located just a few hours outside of Salt Lake City? All the info you need to plan an epic national park journey can be found here. This is actually on our bucket list, as a result all Utah photos used are borrowed from the internet.
Number 5: Hawaii
Okay, so Hawaii isn’t a city; it’s a state, and you may be surprised to see Hawaii on my list, but here it is! Hawaii has gotten cheaper to get to, although it is still an expensive place to visit. But, if your family craves some amazing beach time coupled with a little history and nature, then this is the place to go. I think that a week here is enough time to visit Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island.
Start on Oahu because most flights come into Oahu anyway. I think 2 to 3 days in Oahu is plenty. That will give you enough time to visit Pearl Harbor and the battleships on one day, and hit the beach and perhaps hike diamond head on the others.
The flights between the islands are pretty cheap, so hop a flight to Maui, where you will spend the rest of your time. Aside from beautiful beaches and great snorkeling, in Maui, you can attend a luau, take a drive through the scenic Hana Highway (but, trust me, do this on a tour and not on your own), get a sunrise experience at Haleakala, and take a day trip to the Big Island to visit Volcanoes National Park!
I hope this post has inspired you to break out of your family vacation rut, and seek out a new adventure that the whole family can enjoy. Let us know what you think of our suggestions, sample itineraries, and tips and whether you would be interested in a similar post featuring international vacations. Until then, cheers to making memories that’ll last a lifetime!
Once upon a time, four friends graduated law school and real life began. They moved all over Florida, got jobs, got married, and half of them had kids. Gone were the carefree days of Gainesville, Florida (Go Gators!). Now, if the four friends want to get together, they have to coordinate schedules, clear calendars, take time off work, consult with husbands, and hire babysitters. But that is okay, because, once a year, the four friends do just that. This year, they convened in Savannah for three (mostly) carefree days of exploring, shopping, and eating.
We got into town in the early afternoon, and, since we were all starving, we made a beeline to 
If you get there early enough on a weekday, you may want to line up for 
Our next stop was to 
For dinner, we headed over to 
After dinner, we walked over to 
Day 2:
After breakfast, we had a full day of exploring ahead of us! When you think Savannah, think antebellum architecture, historic cobblestone squares, and Spanish moss. There are so many quaint little streets and shops to explore. Once you visit, you will understand why Savannah is chosen as the backdrop for so many movies. 
The Forrest Gump feather flew by this steeple at the beginning of the movie: 
If you love old, historic homes, then this is the town for you.
Iconic Jones Street: 
The Mercer Williams House:
If you like to shop local, you will love Savannah. In addition to cute (but pricey) clothing boutiques and some great home decor stores (like 
If you like your chocolate fancy, then head over to 
Speaking of honey, 
They have a honey tasting bar:
For lunch, you could plan a picnic in 
The best option in Chiang Mai is probably 
We recently had a similar experience in Peru where we visited an orphanage for girls and brought them toiletries and school supplies. 
Organizing a charitable travel component is not hard, even if you are not working with an agent, it is not very expensive, it does not take time away from your vacation, and it will probably be one of the more authentic and certainly most memorable parts of your journey. It certainly leaves you feeling connected to the destination.
Sadly, summer is officially over. But that’s okay, because it’s never too early to plan for next summer, and I am here to help you with a little Greek Island inspiration. As you may already know, I am Greek. What you probably don’t know is that my dad lives in Greece on the island of Crete in a small village called Anopolis. Nestled in the White Mountains, Anopolis is a village of Sfakia, which is located in the southwestern part of Crete and is a prefecture of Chania.
I dare you to find a beach that is more visually stunning than Balos Beach. I mean, it is literally shaped like a heart because you fall in love with it as soon as you feast your eyes upon it, which is good since getting here can be a challenge.
I HIGHLY recommend that you get here early (like before the ferries start coming in). There are very limited parking spaces relative to the number of visitors. Once the parking lot fills up, they park you on the side of an unpaved mountain road with no guardrails (it’s pretty interesting to have to make a three point turn to turn the car around to leave), and you have to walk the rest of the way, which, depending on how many people are there that day, could be a long walk. For us, it was 10 minutes, and that was just to get to the path that takes you to Balos Beach. This was the parking situation at noon:
If you have to park outside the lot, you will have to walk towards the lot to reach the path that takes you to Balos Beach. That path takes another 30 to 40 minutes. It is also unpaved and there are stairs at some parts. It starts out flat and then you climb down stairs to get to the beach (which means you climb up to get back!), so I suggest you plan very carefully for what you bring with you to the beach, and, do yourself a favor and wear sneakers, hiking shoes, or water shoes. Now is not the time to be cute! You will instantly regret flip flops. And, it’s hot! Put on sunscreen, drink water, eat protein bars, wear a hat, and just survive! The good news is that you can take a Donkey Taxi more than half way (both to and from the beach) for about 4 Euros. The great news is that you get the most beautiful pictures ever. The path to the beach begins where you see this sign:
The road starts out looking like this, and you’re all like, what’s the big deal:
About half way, it turns to this: 
But, before it gets to that, you see this:
You’ll know when you’re there when you see this, like a shining oasis: 
Sweet relief! 
This is the lagoon side:
The water is shallow and cool, and the sand is pink!
If you didn’t do it on the way in, on the way back, you’ll probably be like: 
Otherwise, it’s this: 
Elafonisi Beach is also found in the prefecture of Chania, about 47 miles from Chania. There is a main beach and a islet that is joined by a sand bar. To get to this beach, you can drive and park in a dirt lot just off the main entrance to the beach or take a cab or 
Once you park, you will see a bunch of snack carts and a small beach restaurant. Walk towards the action to get onto the beach. Just before you get onto the beach on the left, are a series of four trailer toilets (American style) that clean, stocked, and cost 1 Euro to use. This will be your view as you step onto the beach:
This beach is crowded, and there are chairs and umbrellas for rent, but it is also so large that you can literally escape the crowds.
To do that, you can walk through a shallow water pool/sandbar and go through the nature preserve part:
Where you will find a much less crowded beach: 
The sand here is also pink: 
Because I feel like my pictures really don’t do this beach justice, I did a Google search to find you some better ones that really capture this beautiful beach, and 
Is this real life?!? It is in Crete! This is Preveli Beach, which is located in the prefecture of Rethymnon, by the Preveli River and the famous palm forest. As with all the good Cretan beaches, there’s the easy way and the hard way to get here. The easy way is to take a boat from Plakias or Agia Galini. The hard way is to drive. From Plakias, you will drive to the Preveli Monastary, and about a mile before you reach the monastery, you will park your car and walk down a seemingly endless amount of steep stairs that lead to the beach. The best pictures are on this route. Apparently, you can also drive a dirt road leading to the nearby village of Drymiskiano Amoudi and walk a short 5 minute path to the beach. There are places to rent kayaks if you want to kayak down the river to get to the beach. Full Disclosure: I have not yet been to this beach yet (so this photo is borrowed from good ole’ Mr. Google), but it is on my list for when I return to Crete in May, so I will update this post then.
About 13 miles from the city of Chania, you will find this gem. To get here, drive towards Chania airport, and turn left towards village Chordaki and then follow the signs to Rizoskloko. Signage will lead you to the beach. The road is paved all the way, but the last part of the road is a small, winding mountain road with no guardrails. You will come to an area where you can leave your car, and then you set out on foot for about 15 minutes down a steep path of stairs to get to the beach. The beach gets very crowded in season, so go early. Also there are no amenities on this beach, so if you need it, bring it. The photos of this beach are brought to you courtesy of my god-sister, fellow wanderluster, and Cretan beach expert, Roula.
There are only two ways to get to this beach, which is located in Sfakia (where I am from) in the prefecture of Chania and literally translates into Sweet Water Beach- 1) drive, leave your car on the side of the road and walk this path about 30 minutes to the beach or 2) come by boat via the water taxis from Sfakia or Loutro. The beach is rocky and there is a small snack bar in the water perched on some rocks, but the water is crystal clear and cool.
Like Elafonisi, Falasarna Beach, which is also located in the prefecture of Chania, is made up of several sandy beaches. Because it is on the west coast, this is a great beach to catch the sunset. The easiest way to get here is to drive the hour from Chania; otherwise, you can take the public bus, which runs routes during tourist season.
If you were brave enough to hike 4 hours through the Aradaina Gorge, guess where you ended up? Right here! Truthfully, you came to a road that had a passage for a steeper road down to the water which lead you here. This beach is also in Sfakia, about 53 miles from Chania. You can drive here (park your car up top on the side of the road and walk on down that steep path) or take a public bus to Sfakia and then take a boat over. There is a small tavern on the beach and a few umbrellas and sunbeds, but that is about it. There are some great caves to snorkel in, but the water is very deep.
If you want to visit a true beach town, head to Loutro, in the prefecture of Chania. There are no cars here and no roads, just beaches, hotels, tavernas, and shops. There are only 2 ways to get here: 1) by foot and 2) by boat. You have to be a serious hiker to get here by foot. If that is you, take the bus (or drive) to Sfakia. You can start your hike here. In fact, you can visit Glyka Nera (number 5 above) first as you can start your hike here and the same trail will end at Loutro. This is a long hike and will likely take 3 or more hours. Alternatively, you can come to our village (Anopolis) from Sfakia, and start your hike basically from my house which sits at the foot of the mountain you need to climb up to get there. This is the center of Anopolis:
Before you get to the center, on the left hand side is my cousin’s bakery:
She makes everything from scratch everyday. Her goods are delicious. She also harvests her own honey, which is life changing. Ask her to make you a Sfakian pie, stuffed with mizithra cheese from our cheese factory. 
Once you are at the center of Anopolis, stay to the left of the circle and then take the road to the right, you’ll be on your way. After passing about 10 houses, you will be at the foot of the mountain. If you see a black BMW with a Florida license plate, you’ll know you are in the right place, at my house! Stop in and say hi to my dad, George, and I bet he will cut you some 
This cheese is legendary! You can only get it in Crete. There is an entire festival held in August in its honor! I’m not kidding:
This is my uncle Andrea, who, with the help of my dad, makes the cheese:
Next thing you know, this will be your situation (by the way, you are supposed to dip the cheese in the honey!):
He may even take you out back and show you some of our goats! 
After fueling up for your hike, you will be on your way! The hike will take about 2 hours. Go straight through the gate below to start your Loutro hike, or stay on the path to the right, and climb up to the church at the top before heading down and on to Loutro.
If you chose to the visit the small church on top of the mountain, you will come through this gate. There are amazing views from up here.
After your visit look for this cross on the bottom of the small path leading to the church and across from this cross will be a rock that shows you the way.
You are heading here: 
If you opt for the easier route, you can take the 
The ferry leaves from here in Sfakia:
The ticket office is before you reach this landing:
Before you reach the ticket kiosk, there is a small ocean-side snack bar where you can stop in for a delicious gyro and wait for the ferry to arrive.
Once you board the ferry, in about 20 minutes, you will reach Loutro.
Most people walk the semi-circle and stop at the first beach. If you keep going all the way to the end, there is another beach next to some huge rocks, which offer nice snorkeling opportunities, and this beach is less crowded. There is also a snack bar right near the beach with a restroom. The water is cool and the beaches are rocky.
If you miss the ferry back or want to stay for a while, book a room at my family’s hotel on the island, and tell my cousin George that I sent you!
Also, there is no nude or topless bathing in Loutro.
If you are looking for long sandy beaches that are suitable for families with children and have an added bonus of ruins to explore, then you have found your paradise. Frangokastello is located in the prefecture of Chania. You can get here by bus, car, or boat. There are a few beaches you can visit in this area. The first is right at the foot of an ancient castle.
Either before or after the beach, make sure to stop in and explore the castle.
Are you still with me or have you wandered off into beach bliss heaven? Quite frankly, I couldn’t blame you if you have. As you can see, Crete is not lacking in the amazing beaches department. The waters are clear and a kaleidoscope of blues. The landscapes and backdrops surrounding the beaches aint too shabby either! But wait, there’s more! Here are a few other beaches that are also nice: Kournas Lake, Ombros Galos, Agia Roumeli (if you hiked the 
Most people dread a long layover between flights. Not me. In fact, I sometimes purposefully plan a long layover, especially in a cool new city. For me, a layover presents an opportunity for a mini adventure.
Our flight from Athens arrived in Istanbul at 11: 30 p.m. With just our pre-planned and pre-packed carry-on bags in tow, we quickly made our way to the visa office to purchase our Turkish visas. That’s right U.S. citizens, as of 2014, you now need a visa to visit Turkey. It costs $30.00 per person and can be purchased right in the airport before leaving the secure area (you can also obtain an e-visa ahead of time for $20.00). After securing our visas, we exited the secure area of the airport and found the shuttle for the land-side of the airport’s hotel. This airport has a hotel within the airport that has two sides: the “air side,” which is inside the secure area of the airport and requires a boarding pass for check in and the “land side,” which is outside of the secure area of the airport but still attached to the airport. We checked in for the night, had a hot shower, and got right to bed.
After a few quick picture stops, we made our way back over to the European side to visit the Old Town. We walked through Sultanahmet Square to visit the historic 
In the same plaza, you will find the German Fountain. This is a classic example of looks being deceiving. As you stroll through the Hippodrome, you pass a beautiful, but inoperative fountain. The fact that it is inoperative is by choice. This fountain was given as a gift from Germany to the Turkish people around 1900, which lead to an alliance between Turkey and German. Fast forward 20 years, Turkey ended up on the losing side of World War I, which sent Turkey spiraling into depression for decades to come. As a result, the Turks are no longer fond of the fountain; but it’s huge and immovable, so, as a tourist, enjoy its beauty.
Our next stop was to the Sultanahmet Mosque (
This is an active mosque where people come to pray. All visitors are required to remove their shoes before entering, and the mosque provides plastic bags for you to put your shoes into and carry inside with you. Also, women must cover their heads and wear a long skirt to enter. I anticipated this, and brought along a scarf, but the mosque also provides you with loaner scarves and skirts. By the way, as Chad found out, men are not excluded from this rule. Men must wear long pants. If they are wearing shorts, like Chad was, the mosque will happily provide the man with a skirt to wear, and this will double as entertainment for me, and, now, for you! 
Also, women are NOT allowed pass these wooden gates. Men, however, are, but only if they are passing through to pray. Please, please, please be respectful of the mosque’s and the religion’s rules. While we were there, an English woman and her child walked into the prayer area, and it caused a bit of a scene.
Inside, the mosque is literally stunning. There is so much incredible color and intricate tile and stained glass work. Even on a cloudy day (which was the case the morning these photos were taken), you get a sense of the awesome illuminated beauty that natural light provides in the mosque. 
After the Blue Mosque, we made our way to 
To give you some perspective, the photo below was taken at the gates of the Blue Mosque looking towards Hagia Sophia.
By the way, unless you have been to Hagia Sophia, you may not appreciate exactly how hard it is to get a picture inside with NO people in it. It’s like impossible! I do the impossible.
And, if you were wondering where the center of the world is located, according to the Romans, it’s right here! This is the spot where coronation ceremonies for Roman Emperors were held during the time that Constantinople (a.k.a Istanbul) served as the capitol of the Roman Empire (and basically the capitol of the world, as far as they were concerned).
This is the Empress Stand (where she would stand in an elevated position to watch her husband be crowned Emperor), so naturally…
Meet Obama Kitty (a.k.a Gli). Apparently, when Obama visited Istanbul, he made a stop to Hagia Sophia. This kitty happened to be inside that day, and she marched over to Obama and was rubbing up against his leg. Obama liked the little kitty, so he picked her up and carried her around while he toured the museum. Well, that was the best day ever for this little kitty because after that, she became famous. She was renamed Obama Kitty and was given a permanent home inside Hagia Sophia.
I don’t think Obama should get to feeling grand prize about this encounter. Obama Kitty is very friendly, and she will basically go up to anyone for some love. She immediately went to Chad and demanded rubs!
After we concluded our visit at Hagia Sophia, we walked through a small bazaar (note, the Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays) of beautiful shops, and we tasted Turkish Delight before making our way back to the airport.
By the way, Istanbul is a shopper’s paradise! If you like textiles, tiles, spices, teas, and jewelry, then you will feel like you died and went to heaven (and this isn’t even the 
And, by Monday morning, we had booked tickets! Where To Next Travel Blog will be traveling all next week. If you read this blog, you know that I am a planner, and 
Sadly, summer is almost over. Maybe you have already taken an awesome summer vacation, but you still want one last getaway to send the season out with a bang. Or, maybe summer got away from you, and you never got the vacation you deserve. Not to worry, we still have Labor Day, and looking ahead to that, may I suggest a fabulous and relaxing staycation (or, if you are not from Florida, a vacation!)…Presenting Palm Beach (a.k.a. the Island)!!
When you walk into the lobby, you feel like you have walked into a palace!
The best part about visiting The Breakers in the summer is that the room rates are lower than they are in season, and they usually run summer 
We always designate our first day as pool and beach day! 
In fact, an even better idea is to rent one of the cabanas for the day. Depending on the cabana that you reserve, you get private beach chairs and umbrellas, an air-conditioned living room with TV, music, and a fridge, and a private bathroom and shower. The cabana comes with a fresh fruit plate, water and soft drinks, and a dedicated waiter to take care of your every need for the entire day! 
Don’t mind Chad, he’s just stretching.
The nice thing is that the cabana locks, so you can close it up and head down to the beach, spa, or gym! 
The Breakers has nine property restaurants, but for dinner tonight, consider going off property to 
And, especially, don’t miss this Rose Jam. It is heaven on your lips. The Breakers makes it in-house, and they do not sell it. This jam is the jam. 
After breakfast, your first stop should be to the 
Here, you will find all the couture shopping that your poor little wallet can handle! But, don’t just stick to the main drag. Make sure you explore all the little corners and hallways to find hidden shops and the most beautiful gardens and breezeways. The summer bonus is that the Avenue is mostly empty in the summer, and some of the stores run sales. Also, if you are into antiques and home furnishing, the Island has plenty of shops for you to scour, so give it a Google!
Once you have had your fill of shopping, head back to The Breakers for a late afternoon dip, a round of golf, or some spa time! For dinner tonight, why not try 
After breakfast on your last day, you could check out and stay on the property and enjoy the amenities. If you haven’t already done so, take some time to walk around The Breakers and explore the property.
On your way out of town, I would make two stops. The first would be to the 
Hopefully, after this long weekend, you will feel rested and cultured! I’d love to hear your tips and recommendations for Palm Beach. Also, if you followed this itinerary, I would love to hear your feedback! Send me an email or leave me a comment below.
Last year, Lonely Planet published its Ultimate Travelist wherein it ranked the 500 best places to see in the world. 
When we arrived to Aguas Calientes, a representative from our hotel, the 
After three to five minutes, you will reach this bridge which you will need to cross to buy citadel tickets, to buy bus tickets, and to catch the bus:
This is the view from the other side of the bridge:
Once you cross over, keep on this narrow elevated street. If you already have citadel and bus tickets and need to catch the bus, or have citadel tickets but need to buy bus tickets and catch the bus, then at the end of this gate you will make sharp left turn and continue to the street.
If you need to first buy citadel tickets, then you will stay straight on the path above until you see this corner with the sign directing you to the right to buy tickets to Machu Picchu.
Stay straight on the road until you see this building on your right hand side. You can purchase your Machu Picchu tickets inside. At the time of this post, 
If you’ve reached this city square, then you went too far (about a block too far) and you need to turn around and look for the building above on your left hand side. On the day this picture was taken, not only was it raining, but a local cultural celebration was taking place which is why you see a uniformed band.
Once your tickets are purchased, back track to the elevated road from the picture above, but instead of going up that road, stay to the right to go down to street level. If you took the sharp left turn above then you should already be at street level and you should see this ticket stand in front of you. This is where you buy bus tickets. If you notice, it is right underneath the bridge that you just crossed.
The buses are located to the right of the ticket office as you face it from this vantage point or just behind the people who are purchasing tickets. Note, buses returning from the citadel will line up facing this ticket office on the side of the street that these people are on. Buses leaving to the citadel will line up on the side of the street that I took this picture from (or across the street from the ticket office) and will face away from the office. There is usually a line of people waiting to get on the bus. At the time of this post, the cost of a round trip bus ticket from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu is $24.00 per person, and must be paid in Peruvian Soles. The first bus leaves at 5:30 a.m. for the people who want to get in at 6:00 a.m. and see the sunrise. A lot of people have this on their bucket list, but don’t have your heart set on seeing the sunrise. A lot of times, the sun hides behind the cloud forest, but the nice thing about being there early is that it is not as crowded as it is between 10:00 a.m. and noon! The last bus leaves the citadel at 5:30 p.m.
The bus takes about 25 minutes to reach the citadel. The road starts out flat for about 5 to 10 minutes and then begins to climb an unpaved, winding mountain road. If you are scared of heights, like Chad is, don’t sit by the window; but honestly, it’s not that bad because the mountain is densely vegetated and there are only a few places from where you realize how high up you are. Below is a photo I borrowed from the internet that shows you the road up. You can always walk up if you want to, and 
When you arrive, you climb up a short flight of stairs until you reach the platform where the information office, entrance, and cafes are located.
This shot was taken in the afternoon after we ate lunch, which is why you see no line (more on that below). When we arrived at around 10:00 a.m., there was a line to get in, but it wasn’t terrible. We waited about three minutes to get in. It is worth noting that Sundays are the busiest days because on Sundays, Peruvians get in free!
There are no restrooms or places to buy water or snacks once you pass through these gates (although there is a “charging station”, a couple of plugs and some benches really, where you can charge your phone and other electronics located under a covered walkway just past the entrance), so make sure to use the restroom and bring water and snacks in with you. You can leave and return to the citadel three times per day with your ticket. The restrooms are located on the lower platform where the buses drop you off and cost 1 Sole to use. There are no paper towels to dry your hands, just hand dryers, and bringing your own toilet paper is a good idea. 
Don’t worry, that’s not the line to get into the bathroom. That is the line to get onto a bus and leave the citadel at noon, which is why you should stay and re-enter in the afternoon when the citadel is mostly empty!
Then, get ready to feast your eyes on the first glimpse of Machu Picchu as you walk through the covered walkway!
This is certainly not the best view of the citadel. It’s just the first view (but, it’s still pretty awesome if you are seeing it for the first time!). If you want the best view, you need to do about 10 to 15 minutes worth of climbing. If you are unable to do that, no worries; you can use the walkway shown below to walk into the ruins. There isn’t too much climbing (other than some stairs here and there) once you are in and walking through the ruins. 
If you want the BEST view, here is what you need to do. As you walk in and on your left hand side, you will see this small sign. If you aren’t looking for it, you will miss it.
Follow the upward path that leads to the guardhouse, bridge, and sungate. For those of you who want to hike up to the sungate or down to the bridge, you will need to go this way anyway.
The path is upward and has some stairs. In the morning, you will be following a line of people. In the afternoon, you will be pretty much alone. Stop and take some rest breaks if you need it. It is a moderate hike and it takes about 10 minutes to get to the vantage point. 
Eventually, you will get to the guardhouse, which offers this view: 
This picture was taken at the end of the guardhouse.
Guess what? This still isn’t the best view. Most people will stop here and start clicking away. If you walk past the guardhouse (which will be on your right), you will come to a landing, and this, my friends, is where you will find the money shot!
This is the landing of which I speak and from where these pictures were taken: 
Take a moment and enjoy the view because it is truly amazing and you worked hard to get here!
Oh, and while you are here, don’t forget to whip out your freshly stamped passport and get some these shots! 
Now, there is one more level that you can climb up to which is just behind you and is really just a big step up. I don’t think it offers a better view, but I took some pictures from here too. By the way, if you are thinking that the landing below is the perfect place to take one those jump in the air pictures, think again. Jumping in Machu Picchu is strictly prohibited, and that is probably a good policy, you know, for your own safety and to protect the ruins. There are people watching, and they will blow the whistle.
Chad and I planned to do the sungate after our two hour privately guided tour of the citadel was done (by the way, I recommend taking a guided tour otherwise, you don’t really understand what it is that you are seeing, and you may miss some of the best parts). Specifically, we scheduled a guided tour of the citadel for as soon as we got there (our guide traveled with us from Ollantaytambo, but there are guides offering their services just outside the entrance too if you didn’t plan ahead), and then our plan was to exit for lunch, and then re-enter to do the sungate.
So, remember that line for the buses that I showed you before? It appears that most people come in the morning and are out of there by noon to 1:00 p.m. I say, stay at the citadel, eat your lunch there and then re-enter the citadel in the afternoon because when you do, it will be almost empty. It is like you have all of Machu Picchu to yourself. You could take the bus down, eat lunch, and then come back up, but that seems like a hassle and you have to pay for two bus transfers. If you only want to spend a half day at the citadel, and you don’t want to spend it with other people, come in the afternoon.
This is what the path to get up looks like: 
And this is the sungate: 
Apparently, the view from the sungate is this: 
In my opinion, the best view is the one I described for you above from the landing. It seems to be the only view that offers a complete view of the citadel. If you are doing the 
You will continue to meander down the terraces until you reach the main gate, which looks like this: 
Here are some of the highlights of the ruins: 
The 
The reflecting pools: 
The 
The only other sites of significance which are missing from the above are the 
We spent the entire day at the citadel. We exited the citadel at around 4:00 p.m. (it closes at 4:30 p.m.), and Chad stopped to have a beer while we waited for the next bus down to Aguas Calientes. In case you were wondering, the beer he’s drinking is Cusquena. There are a few locally brewed beers in Peru; but, in Chad’s opinion, this Cusquena Golden Lager is the best Peruvian beer.
After a long day, it was finally time to check into our hotel, and upon arrival, we were pleased to learn that we had been upgraded to a suite! 
The hotel property is really nice. It has a village feel and is lushly landscaped. The property has 214 bird species on property and the world’s largest native orchid collection (372 species)! They also have a spa and a working tea plantation. You can enjoy guided bird watching or orchid walks, as well as a visit to the tea plantation, all of which are included in your stay. Breakfast and dinner are also included, and the common areas are very cozy. 
After dinner, we enjoyed our in-room fire place and some much needed rest! 
The next morning, it was pouring, so any hopes we had of re-visiting the citadel were washed away. Instead, we opted to visit the hotel’s Spectacled Bear Conservation Center, which, in concert with NGO Inkaterra Asociación and the Protected Natural Areas National Service, rescues these bears found in bad captivity conditions. The Spectacled Bear, also known as the Andean Bear, is the only bear species native to the Southern Hemisphere and was the inspiration for Paddington Bear! There are currently two bears in the habitat, and you make a small donation of approximately $10.00 per person to participate in this activity. It is well worth it and I highly recommend it!
After visiting the bears, we had a massage and then lunch before boarding the train back to Cusco. The train ride back is long, and apparently, after the meal, they feel the need to entertain you. All of a sudden music started playing and a costumed, Mardi Gras-like devil came dancing through the aisles. It was called 
And if that wasn’t enough, the costumed devil was the MC for a fashion show that the train attendants put on, modeling the items that you could purchase on-board from them, like wraps, ponchos, coats, sweaters, and scarves made from alpaca fur. They were literally using the aisle as a cat walk. It is one of the oddest things I have ever seen happen on transportation, and that is saying something, since I have seen some pretty wild things in my travels. 
At least Chad was amused!
And, to top it all off, when we arrived at the train station, more costumed Mardi Gras devils (male and female) were waiting on the platform for us, dancing around! I swear it was the oddest thing I have ever seen; but it had been such a long day that I didn’t even care because we had 45 minutes of driving ahead of us to get to the hotel!
